Artist of the day: The Ins and Outs

The Ins and Outs are a relatively new band in Pinellas County, but they're already gaining a bit of a reputation for their live shows.

The band is known for bouncing on mini-trampolines onstage, not to mention other audience-participation hooks. "We give pool noodles to the crowd to wave around and go banana-sandwich with," said singer-guitarist-keyboardist Alexander "AL-X" Abrams.

Abrams, along with guitarist Joey Copodonna, bassist Stephen Sacco and Chris "Barbosa" Morning, all work together at Best Buy in Clearwater -- all but Copodonna in the musical instruments department, "but we're trying to get Joey in with us," Abrams said.

The band is honing their classic-rock-meets-power-pop sound -- think Weezer or We Are Scientists -- on an upcoming album called Provoke. Until then, they're going to keep playing wherever they can. So far, they've already landed gigs at Jannus Live and the Ritz Ybor. "We are so grateful that we have gotten as far as we have in such a short time," Abrams said. "These places were merely dreams to us."

Over the weekend they performed at Jannus Live's Rock for Research concert. You can catch them on Friday at the State Theatre alongside A View From the East Coast, Red Rock/its and Bad Magistrate. The show is at 7 p.m.; ticket are $8.